Varying Views of the Mike Murphy Case

The interview subjects were asked if they remembered the Mike Murphy Case, and most had some memory of its happening, while some knew the young men and/or the Murphys personally. The viewpoints of the respondents varied considerably. Here are a few of their comments.

Jack Argue; He attended the Mike Murphy murder trial, and remembers the victims, Harry Howes and Bill Dale. "Some people thought that they shouldn't have been down there. They went down to serenade Mike Murphy and he objected to them."

Cyril Dale; The double murder of William Dale and Harry Howes. Cyril's father took Cyril to the town office / fire hall to see the 2 bodies. It was a sad experience. William Dale was a friend of Mike Murphy. He provided Mike with accommodation - a small log house.

The young men like to tease. Mike used a shot gun with slugs and fired into the bunch of young people and killed 2. There was a trial in Bryson. He was acquitted of murder but was later convicted of perjury. He served 20 years in jail and has never been heard of since.

Irene Shaw; There is little sympathy in her telling of the Mike Murphy Murders story (1910 - she was already a teacher). He was, she says, a gypsy who had previously threatened "to shoot someone or leave Shawville in ashes", if he were not left alone. There wasn't enough evidence to convict him for the murders but he perjured himself in court and served time for that instead.

Herman Emmerson; Asked about the Mike Murphy murders he responds ``he was my uncle``. When, at the end of his story his wife corrects him saying, ``he was never your uncle``, he replies, ``he was a nice old man just the same``. In Emmersons`s opinion ``if he`d a done what he should a done he should a shot them all``. Emmerson has little patience or sympathy for the youths who ``nearly `drownded` the old lad``.

Elard Johnston; The way that Mr. Johnston tells the story of the Mike Murphy Murders reflects significant sympathy with Murphy. He begins by saying that Murphy and his wife "didn't seem like too bad people but they were poor". The young people "as quite often will happen used to go down and bother them eh", and Mike didn't want to do anything but he told them he'd have to if they didn't leave him alone. It is said that one time "they pulled his wife through the creek by the hair of the head. Anyway they went too far" and he got a shot gun and I guess he got three of them. Everyone was against him because he was poor. He made baskets and chairs from young alders to sell. They called him a gypsy because he dealt horses. "He wasn't a gypsy, he was just a man", but they called anyone a gypsy who dealt horses back then.